A workshop to brainstorm on discarding extremism and empower a resilient youth to serve as peace ambassadors towards sustainable peace has been held in Accra.

The two-day capacity building programme was organised by the West Africa Centre for Counter Extremism (WACCE) on preventing violent extremism was on the theme: ‘Challenging Extremism, Promoting Pluralism and Inspiring.

Radicalisation has been noted to be the single biggest factor that leads individuals and groups to engage in terrorism, a process an individual goes through, influenced largely by a combination of factors including poverty, unemployment and negative religious ideals resulting in violence perceived to be the legitimate tool to express grievances.

Hence the workshop, which is focused on uncovering the underpinnings of radicalisation and factors that can motivate groups or individuals to engage in terrorism.
Executive Director of WACCE, Mutaru Muqthar, observed that there are a significant number of vulnerabilities when it came to terrorism in communities because there are people who are in the process of being radicalised without knowing actually that they are on the path.
“Understanding is key to preventing threats from the local community when we deal with them, proximity to local security factors will help better understand security measures and the centre has in the past four years dissuaded at least 22 youth from becoming radicalised and joining terrorist groups.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Akuriah Yaagy, Director-General of the National Patrol Department, encouraged the youth to have the spirit of nationalism and patriotism since they are key to preventing violence in the country.

He urged young individuals to collaborate with security institutions and other stakeholders by reporting strange characters who incite violence in their communities.

Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, said the youth should not hide behind religion to incite chaos in the society and the religious background of an individual is never taught, thus people who defend violent behaviours based on religion are only the radical ones.

He advised young people to be careful with the people they choose as role models especially on social media. –ghanaweb.com